:: Walt Disney Treasures – Mickey In Living Colour

This celebrates Mickey Mouse’s career in colour cartoons with 26 original shorts released between 1935 and 1938. Therefore, fans will relish this priceless collection that chronicles Mickey’s first steps out of the world of black and white, ushering in a new era of animation.

This collection is that it starts with the best cartoon of the bunch, “The Band Concert”. The second best offering is the equally classic “Brave Little Tailor,” which is the last cartoon on the collection. Then it is just a question of determining which of the other cartoons are your personal favourites.

Of course there are also lots of bonus features in this two-disc collection, such as an Oscar promo “Parade of Award Nominees,” pencil tests of Mickey and friends (along with initial audio tracks), and a gallery of original concept art and theatre posters. There are also the traditional interview featurette with the animators and vintage television clips of Walt Disney discussing Mickey.

All together there is 3 hours and 37 minutes worth of Disney fun. The most fun is watching the innovation of the Disney studio in these early days of animation.

The cartoons show high technical polish. The illusion of character dimension is excellent and the background work is beautiful.

Disc two contains all the odds and ends that round out Mickey's career. In his latest half-hour shows Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Prince and the Pauper, Mickey doesn't become a storybook character as much as he plays himself playing the character.

Contents disc two:
Mickey Mouse Shorts: Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Prince and the Pauper, Runaway Brain.

DVD Extras

Bonus Features on Disc 1:
The Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia, A deleted animation pencil test from The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Mickey and the Beanstalk.

Bonus Features on Disc 2:
Mickey's Cartoon Comeback - interview with animators of the Mouse's later work.
The Voice Behind the Mouse - interview with Mickey and Minnie vocal talent.
Mickey Mouse Club Titles in Colour - the daily intros for the TV shows were apparently never seen in colour before.
Mickey Meets the Maestro - Mickey's bits in Fantasia and Fantasia 2000.
Mouse Mania - Mike Jittlov's ambitious, frantic animation bit with Disney toys.
Mickey Cartoon Physics from Plausible Impossible - excerpt from TV show about animation.
Mickey on the Camera Stand from Tricks of Our Trade - excerpt from another TV show explains the Multi-Plane camera.
The Making of Mickey's Christmas Carol - somewhat tedious EPK-like longform promo for the cartoon.
Publicity and Memorabilia Gallery & Story and Background Art Gallery.